Two Sydney men are scheduled to appear in Parramatta Local Court via video link today (2 April 2022) following an AFP-led Taskforce Vanguard investigation into alleged scammers impersonating AFP officers and Services Australia officials to steal money from Australian victims.
AFP-led Taskforce Vanguard began investigating a fraud syndicate allegedly impersonating public officials when a victim contacted the AFP in October 2021 to verify their contact with alleged officials from Services Australia and the AFP.
It was discovered that members of a fraud syndicate allegedly contacted the victim, claimed to be Commonwealth public officials and deceived the victim into providing personal information and transferring funds from their bank account.
AFP Detective Acting Sergeant Matthew Veraguth said the Australian public can take steps to protect themselves from scammers pretending to be Commonwealth public officials.
“If you are contacted by someone claiming to be an AFP officer, ask for their name and badge number – they must provide this to you. Hang up immediately and call the AFP Switchboard on (02) 5126 0000 to verify the information they have provided you,” Det-a/Sgt Veraguth said.
The AFP, with Australian Border Force (ABF) officers executed search warrants in the Sydney suburb of Rosehill yesterday (1 April 2022). Police seized mobile phones, as well as documents that are suspected to be from other scam victims.
A 27-year-old Rosehill man and a 26-year-old Rosehill man were arrested at their homes and each charged with committing an offence for the benefit of an organisation, contrary to section 390.5(1) Criminal Code 1995 (Cth). The maximum penalty for this offence is seven years’ imprisonment.
It will be alleged in court that the two men were involved in the fraud syndicate that stole more than $17,000 in October 2021 from the victim who initially contacted the AFP.
As part of this criminal offence, it will be alleged that credit cards were deceptively obtained from the victim and later used at ATMs. It will also be alleged members of the fraud syndicate falsely represented themselves as Commonwealth public officials when they initially contacted the victim.
ABF Superintendent Investigations NSW, Brett Totten, said visa holders who commit crimes in Australia are subject to visa cancellation, detention and removal from Australia.
“Working with our law enforcement partners, investigations are continuing into this syndicate. Visa holders who participate in criminal groups committing fraud and laundering the proceeds of crime can expect the ABF will cancel their visas, detain them and remove them from Australia,” he said
“Anyone offshore who is identified as being involved in operations like this one should know any future visa applications made for them to enter Australia will likely be refused under strict character considerations.”
Investigations into this fraud syndicate are continuing.
AFP-led Taskforce Vanguard combines resources from ABF, AUSTRAC and Department of Home Affairs to combat money laundering and drug crimes in NSW.
How the alleged scam works
- Scammers call the victim and fraudulently purport to be from Services Australia and/or the AFP.
- The victim is told they are being investigated for fraud and they can either provide their personal details or face possible jail time for the crime.
- The victim is told their identity has been stolen and they need to transfer their funds to a specific account for safe keeping.
- The victim is told to place all their credit cards in an envelope and that an official will come to their home to take the envelope and give them a new tax file number and new identity documents.
- The victim is told not to ask any questions of the official coming to their home; only provide the envelope.
- Scammers impersonating Commonwealth officials come to the victim’s home and take the envelope.
- Future communication is via a messaging application to confirm transfer of funds and obtain digital copies of IDs from the victim, including a driver’s licence, membership cards or student cards.
- Scammers use all this information to steal tens of thousands of dollars from the victim.
